Latino Families
Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD, photo no. 83-G-37831
Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture
To a great extent, food for Latino families is a social event, and is integral to many celebrations. But the recent influence of fast food, easy microwavable meals, and high-fat ingredients makes it difficult to reinforce healthy eating routines.
Healthy eating campaigns are helping Latino families celebrate cultural foods, as well as understand and address these issues.
Healthy eating recipes are widely available, such as Platillos Latinos ¡Sabrosos y Saludables! (Delicious Heart Healthy Latino Recipes) from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Further Reading
Pérez-Escamilla, R. (2009). Dietary Quality among Latinos: Is Acculturation Making us Sick? Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109(6), 988–991.
Kilanowski, J. F. (2010). Migrant Farmworker Mothers Talk About the Meaning of Food. MCN. The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 35(6), 330–335.
Watt, G. P., Vatcheva, K. P., Griffith, D. M., et al. (2016). The Precarious Health of Young Mexican American Men in South Texas, Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, 2004–2015. Preventing Chronic Disease, 13, E113.